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Mac mini (Late 2009)

LEM Staff - 2009.10.02

Just seven months after overhauling the Mac mini, Apple made some small improvements: The base speed is now 2.26 GHz, 2 GB of RAM is the norm, and the 160 GB hard drive holds more data than the 120 GB drive found in the previous version. And for power users, there’s now a server version with a second hard drive bay in place of the optical drive.

For those who need more processing power, you can order the Mac mini with a 2.53 GHz or 2.66 GHz CPU.

The Intel-based Mac mini looks like previous models from the front, but the rear is different. Like the Early 2009 model, this Mini has five USB 2.0 ports (up from four on pre-2009 Intel Minis), two monitor ports, and FireWire 800.

The tiny Mac mini (6.5″ square, 2″ high, 2.9 lb.) has a minimalist design. On the front, there’s just a slot-loading optical drive (and for the first time, it’s a SATA SuperDrive) and a power light. On the rear, just enough ports to do everything important.

The Mac mini doesn’t include a keyboard or mouse. Apple says buyers can plug in their favorite USB keyboard and mouse – or buy Apple’s offerings. Mac OS X includes support for remapping the Windows alt and option keys to option and cmd respectively.

Intel-based Macs use a partitioning scheme known as GPT. Only Macintel models can boot from GPT hard drives. Both PowerPC and Intel Macs can boot from APM (Apple’s old partitioning scheme) hard drives, which is the format you must use to create a universal boot drive in Leopard. PowerPC Macs running any version of the Mac OS prior to 10.4.2 cannot mount GPT volumes. PowerPC Macs won’t let you install OS X to a USB drive or choose it as your startup volume, although there is a work around for that.

Online Resources

The Late 2009 Mac mini value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.10.21. We called the Mac mini ‘the best value in desktop Macs’ two months ago, and the refreshed Mac mini only improves that value.

Mac mini the best value in desktop Macs, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.08.25. Although the iMac is faster all around, the Mac mini provides plenty of power at half the price. Even with the cost of upgrades, it’s the value champion.

Know Your Mac’s Upgrade Options, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 2008.08.26. Any Mac can be upgraded, but it’s a question of what can be upgraded – RAM, hard drive, video, CPU – and how far it can be upgraded.

Maximizing the Mac mini, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2010.01.21. If Apple won’t offer a midrange Mac, someone should offer a replacement chassis for the Mini with two 3.5″ drive bays.

The Road Ahead: 64-bit Computing, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.08.19. Personal computers started with 8-bit CPUs, Macs started out with a 24-bit operating system, and 32-bit computing is starting to give way to 64 bits.

Why You Should Partition Your Mac’s Hard Drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. “At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the ‘emergency’ partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics.”

How to clone Mac OS X to a new hard drive, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.10.07. Whether you want to put a bigger, faster drive in your Mac or clone OS X for use in another Mac, here’s the simple process.

Simple Mac security in the age of malware, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 2008.08.13. Unlike Windows PCs, at this point Macs can’t become infected simply from being on the Internet, but you still need to be careful about your downloads.

Setting up a Mac-centric home theater, Charles Webb, The Webb Chronicles, 2008.08.05. “…turning your Mac mini into a home theater PC is really as simple as plugging it into your HDTV and turning it on.”

Win the depreciation game by buying on the low end, Charles Moore, ‘Book Value, 2008.06.24. The worst depreciation afflicts high-end models. By buying a less powerful version, choosing certified refurbished, or picking up a used computer, you’ll come out ahead.

5 business essentials for ‘The Switch’, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 2008.06.06. If you’re planning a migration from Windows to Macs, these five steps will help you succeed in making the switch.

Beyond the Mac mini, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.05.15. What if Apple were to think different and eliminate the built-in optical drive, cut $100 from the price, and offer an expansion chassis?

Windows on Macs: Three paths for integration, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 2008.05.14. Mac users have three routes for running Windows apps: Run Windows using Boot Camp or virtualization, or use a compatibility layer such as WINE.

50% Mac sales growth is only the beginning, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.05.02. Apple has a great line of computers and an awesome operating system, but a prosumer model could make last quarter’s growth seem normal.

The best alternatives to Apple’s USB keyboards, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.12.10. There are a lot of USB keyboards out there, even for the Mac, but these two have great keyboard action, are solidly built, and have features Apple’s keyboard don’t include.

Cross-platform computing: Better than it’s ever been, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 2007.11.13. Macs can read PC media, both Macs and Windows PCs play nice with each other on networks, and emulation makes it easy for Intel Macs to run Windows apps.

Matias OS X and USB 2.0 Keyboards reviewed, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.01.03. Two very good, nicely priced keyboards for the Mac – one even has a USB 2.0 port for the iPod shuffle and other devices.